Time to Grow
by Imaginationqueen87
Summary: Sequel to Little things. SeoHyun and her best friend Kara are on their way to college in San Francisco, what new adventures await them? What trials must they endure and new friends will they find?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Don't own Power Rangers or Alpha and Omega Series

 ** _Time to Grow_**

SeoHyun looked out over the horses and the land that had been her home for years and sighed. She had received a full ride scholarship to a pastry school in San Francisco and, in spite of her trepidation, she was going to go. She had heard a lot of good things about the alpha of that particular pack. His name was Thomas but most just called him 'Tommy', he was a teacher at the local college and apparently had not been alpha long but had done wonders for the pack in that time. Many likened him to a younger version of her uncle, Samuel and she figured if he was anything like Samuel she would like him. Kara had also made it into a school in San Francisco, it just happened to be the one the alpha worked at so the fact that she was coming too made the idea of leaving a bit easier.

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Tommy sighed as he watched his daughter play she was growing up so quickly, it made him feel good to see her grow and learn. He was also proud of Kira; she was married to Trent, a fellow former ranger turned pack member. He had been shocked when he learned that Trent had been turned and even more so when he realized that Trent's wolf had chosen Kira as his mate, though some would have called him a 'bonehead' again and said it was completely obvious that Trent's wolf would chose Kira after all the feelings that floated between the two since they were teenagers.

He had been overwhelmed when she asked him to give her away, later even more so when she explained that the responsibility would include him taking the role of her father during the ceremony and in the traditional father-daughter dance. She had asked him to choose the song, thus giving him the freedom to use this as an expression of how he felt for her as she stepped into this future.. In the end he had found that he had only one choice "My Wish" by Rascal Flatts, he would never forget wiping the tears from her eyes and promising her that no matter what he'd be there for her after the song ended and it seemed the words of it hit home.

More recently she had announced to the pack that she was expecting her first child, this was exciting and frightening news for the pack who knew all too well that the odds of them having a healthy baby were not in their favor.

The door opened and the smell of sorrow and pain hit Tommy like a freight train along with Kira's unique scent that was mixed with Trent's due to their being mated.

"Tommy…" the crack in her voice broke his heart; he could tell she had been crying recently and would likely start crying again.

"Kira… what's wrong?" he asked standing to walk to her.

"It's gone…" she said

"What… Kira what's gone?" he asked doing his best to keep his wolf at bay.

"My baby!" she cried and broke into sobs again.

Tommy pulled her into his arms and eased her to the floor when it became clear her knees wouldn't hold her weight much longer.

"Kira… oh… Kira…" Tommy found himself at a loss for any words to say to make her feel better, there was no consoling this, no magic words for him to say to make her feel better about the situation and he felt his heart breaking for her. His wolf was in the back of his mind howling out it's grief at the knowledge that his foster daughter was mourning a baby that would never be born.

He rearranged her in his arms and began to gently rock her as she cried.

Hayley looked into the room and gasped in shock. One of the lower ranking pack members had come to take Samantha so Tommy could focus on Kira who needed him now more than ever.

"Tommy… what is going on?" Hayley asked kneeling with them and putting a hand on the small of Kira's back only to realize the younger woman had somehow managed to cry herself to sleep.

"She…" Tommy swallowed the lump in his throat. "She had a miscarriage."

"Does Trent know?"

"Do I know what?" Trent asked.

"I take that as a 'no'" Hayley replied.

"Trent, when did you get here?" Tommy asked

"Just a few minutes ago, Jason called me, he told me I needed to come immediately that something was wrong with Kira but he couldn't tell me what." Trent replied.

Tommy lifted Kira and they went into her bedroom. Tommy didn't want to wake her but she needed to tell Trent what had happened.

"Kira, what happened… what is wrong?" Trent asked once she was awake enough to answer questions.

"I… I don't know… all I know is… is our baby is gone… I miscarried this morning." Kira said a fresh wave of tears flowing down her cheeks.

"I… I went out with Piper for brunch to… to talk about some new songs I wanted to try at P3 when I… I felt this intense pain in my stomach… I thought it was nothing, I've been having cramps for the past week, but Piper insisted that I went to the hospital anyway and… that's when I learned that I miscarried." Kira replied, barely managing to keep the sobs at bay long enough to speak.

Trent hugged her, resisting the wolf's desire to howl in mourning for his unborn pup. They had been warned this was a possibility but no amount of warning could prepare them for how hard this was, especially on Kira who had really begun to bond with her unborn child.

Tommy had a good feeling he would be hearing Trent's mournful howling later that evening and might even join him with a howl or two of his own. This was his pup in pain from the miscarriage and he mourned the loss of her child right along with her.

Tommy left Trent to care for Kira even though he didn't want to, he knew this was now Trent's job as Kira's mate to take care of her in her time of pain, but the fact that she had come to him first still had an impact on him.

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The next day Tommy received word that they would be receiving two female wolves from Aspen Creek later that week; both were quite young and getting ready to start college. Kara Beckworth and SeoHyun Lee-Cornick were both accepted into schools in the San Francisco area and were going to petition to join his pack.

He had already decided he would accept both girls, he wasn't going to deny them an education especially when SeoHyun was coming on a full ride scholarship. He had rooms prepared for them in the pack house to let them settle in and find their feet. He would happily allow them to remain in his house as long as they were in school if it helped them focus on their educations not to have to worry about a job or maintaining a home of their own.

He knew Kara was rather dominant and wasn't worried about how leaving the Marrok pack would affect her; it was SeoHyun he was worried about. Bran had told him her story and given her history and the abuse she suffered at the hands of an alpha he wondered if it would take time to get her to warm to him or if she would take to his pack as she had the Marrok. He knew the banishment would be rough on the girls, especially SeoHyun so he would want to integrate both of them into his pack as quickly as he could so that his calm influence could ease them, especially SeoHyun. He figured he would integrate her first then Kara as, from what he gathered, Kara could stand independent better than SeoHyun could and wouldn't crumble from being left unattached for a day or so where he would never allow SeoHyun to drift that way for any longer than he absolutely had to. This meant she was looking at being a lone wolf for mere hours not a day or more as a lot of wolves did, it didn't leave a lot of room for her to recover from the magic used but it also didn't allow her to regress into the skittish wolf she had been, or so he hoped. He knew that should the worst occur he could always call Bran and he would take her back to Aspen Creek, this was his granddaughter after all, not just one of his wolves. Tommy knew he would do it for one of his wolves so who was to say he wouldn't show up personally to collect his granddaughter should she need to return to Aspen Creek.

Tommy went to work getting preparations in order for SeoHyun and Kara's arrival, he really wanted to focus on Kira but he knew as pack alpha he had to focus on getting ready for Kara and SeoHyun and leave tending to Kira's wounds to Trent, no matter how hard that was.

To Be Continued…


	2. Chapter 2

Kara watched as SeoHyun fidgeted beside her. She knew SeoHyun wasn't looking forward to the banishment process. It was going to hurt and neither girl looked forward to it.

There was a fear among the pack that it would likely almost crush SeoHyun to have the support of the pack ripped away from her and nobody looked forward to her regressing to what she had been when she arrived in Aspen Creek.

Bran sighed he knew he had to banish the girls so they could integrate into the Golden Gate pack, but he didn't look forward to it. They were so young and innocent and he knew it would be bad, especially for SeoHyun, but he had faith that Thomas would take care of them; he didn't seem the type not to keep his word.

He had decided it would be best to travel with them to San Francisco and release them there so they didn't have to wait long to be integrated into a new pack. He knew Tommy was planning to integrate SeoHyun first as they had knowledge that she didn't do well without the support of a pack. Kara could handle herself better and had already assured him that if she had to stay a lone wolf for a day or two she would be just fine but begged that SeoHyun not have to experience the same treatment as she feared SeoHyun wouldn't do so well and would likely regress to what she was when Charles and Anna rescued her from San Diego.

Bran and Tommy had agreed and it was set that SeoHyun would be banished and brought into the Golden Gate pack with only a bare few hours in between for the sake of her own sanity. Kara would wait until the next morning to give Tommy time between the integrations.

Charles stepped up behind SeoHyun as Bran prepared to banish her from the pack with a flesh and blood banishment ceremony. SeoHyun already had tears in her eyes which made the whole process harder for him but it had to be done.

Tommy was in the next room as he felt this wasn't something to be witnessed by a stranger, she was with her family and that was best for her in that moment.

* * *

Bran took a hold of SeoHyun's right arm he had selected that because she was left handed and it would be easier on her if the wound wasn't on her dominant arm.

Just as had happened in the bonding ceremony a bit of flesh and blood were required but it was now SeoHyun's and not Bran's that was taken and Bran hated this with a passion, having to hurt his granddaughter seemed wrong, but he knew she would be okay soon enough.

"I am sorry, child, this won't be pleasant." He told her.

"I know; grandda." She took a deep breath. "I'm ready."

"That which was bound by alpha's flesh and alpha's blood is bound no more. Alpha's flesh, alpha's blood returned from whence it came. No more to run, no more to hunt no more to fight. No more to answer the call of the pack. Banished, pack no more."

Bran could barely force himself to cut a small bit of flesh from her arm and swallow it as required by the ritual in symbol of returning what he had given her that day years before. His wolf was protesting this more than it had anything in years; she was his in every way that mattered and hurting her went against his very instincts. Her sobs made it worse and it took everything Bran had to get him back under control to banish Kara.

SeoHyun crumbled as the bonds severed and she found herself alone in her head for the first time in four years. Her knees gave way and Charles eased her to the floor so she didn't fall. He held her tightly as she sobbed and cursed the helpless feeling in the pit of his stomach. This was his pup crying in his arms and there was nothing he could do about it. He had to shove back brother wolf who was raging in protest to what was happening, he hated this as much as any of them did and he was wondering, not for the first time, if they should have brought Anna on this trip to help them hold onto control as they were removing SeoHyun from the pack bonds.

Kara took the banishment a lot better than SeoHyun did as they had all expected. She was strong and dominant meaning it was easier for her to stand on her own.

Bran gave Tommy the signal that it was okay for him to come in as SeoHyun calmed down. She was better but she wouldn't be 100% until she had a pack to lean on. They had been in his house the whole time so it wasn't a surprise that Tommy was nearby to hear the call. Tommy had decided to let SeoHyun physically heal and recover for a few hours before he put her through the ritual to integrate her into his pack, but after seeing how badly she reacted to the banishment he was beginning to second guess that idea. It was clear the girl needed a pack more than most wolves he had seen in his short time as a werewolf. He also wondered if she was ready to leave the Marrok pack at all she was young and had seen things no child should. Did she still need to be in Aspen Creek despite her desire to go to college? She was so fragile and in need of protection that she likely would get better with her in the Marrok's care.

SeoHyun looked at Tommy, meeting his soft brown eyes for a split second before her submissive instincts made her look away. Her face was blotchy and her eyes puffy from crying. She hated the feeling of not having a pack, she felt insecure and her mind was haunted by the San Diego pack alpha's words that she was worthless and unlovable even though she was in Charles' arms and she knew he loved her dearly. She still thought of herself as ugly despite what everyone in Aspen Creek told her of her beauty. She just couldn't see it in herself even after getting the complements for four years. She still believed herself to be ugly.

It took a lot of effort for her to push away from her father and walk over to the man that would be her alpha.

"Thomas James Oliver, alpha of the Golden Gate pack, I officially petition to join your pack." She said far too formally. She hadn't needed to go through the formal request procedure, Bran and Charles both told her that this alpha wasn't one to stand on formalities and a simple 'Can I join your pack?' would have sufficed.

"Accepted, and you can call me Tommy." He told her placing a hand on her shoulder and giving her what soothing energy he could, it would be easier once she was tied to him for him to influence her and sway her back to calm. It was clear to him that there were a lot of things going on in SeoHyun's mind that would need to be dealt with.

Kara wasn't as formal with her request but she too was accepted without question and Tommy announced that he would have preparations finished to integrate SeoHyun within the next two hours and Kara would be integrated at ten thirty the next morning so she didn't have to stay a lone wolf for more than one night.

Bran appreciated that Tommy had made accommodation for SeoHyun's unique needs.

Charles and Bran stayed with SeoHyun until Trent came to get her and take her in for the bonding ceremony.

SeoHyun seemed to ease once the bonding was completed and Tommy's influence washed her with calm. She could feel why everyone said he was like Samuel, his energy reminded her of her uncle which made submitting to him easier as he made her feel safe and at home.

"Welcome in," he whispered as he embraced her.

"Thank you." She replied returning the embrace she felt safe there.

* * *

It was hard for her to watch Charles and Bran leave but the feeling of her new alpha behind her, his arms around the top part of her shoulders made it easier to stand her ground when every instinct wanted to run after the men that had made her feel safe for once in her life.

"You're going to be okay, SeoHyun, I promise." Tommy assured her as he gently squeezed her shoulders.

"Then why is it so hard to watch them leave?" she asked wiping tears from her eyes.

"That's your family, SeoHyun, of course it's going to be hard to say goodbye, but you know you can go back for vacations." He said softly, trying his best to reassure her that she would be fine.

"I know. Let's go back to the house."

"Okay."

Tommy guided her into his jeep and they started driving back to the house from the airstrip his pack maintained.

"It'll all be okay, SeoHyun, I promise." Tommy assured her.

To Be Continued…


	3. Chapter 3

Bran watched as Charles settled in for the flight back to Aspen Creek. It felt wrong leaving SeoHyun in San Francisco but he knew she was in good hands.

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Kara ran up and hugged SeoHyun as soon as she entered the house and SeoHyun cried again.

"Are we sure we shouldn't put her on the first flight back to Missoula?" Hayley asked once they were out of earshot.

"Give her time, she just said bye to her dad, they're really close so it's not going to be easy for her." Tommy explained.

"True saying bye to mom and dad is never easy." Hayley agreed. "At least she has Kara so she isn't alone."

"Yeah and I took Bran's advice and set up a dorm style bedroom for the two of them. They can split later but right now they're going to need each other." Tommy said.

"Good if they get homesick they have each other for comfort." Hayley agreed.

Tommy went back to the girls and pulled SeoHyun into his own arms, Kara stepped back respectfully to let him comfort SeoHyun the way only her alpha could.

"Shh, it's okay SeoHyun," he cooed softly. "Just take deep breaths and calm down, this isn't goodbye forever, you know that."

SeoHyun nodded and buried her face in Tommy's shoulder and let his energy comfort her.

After a few minutes he decided it was a good time to show them their bedroom.

"Girls I really hope you like the new arrangements. I thought since you are such close friends you would enjoy this."

The girls entered the room to see that they would be sharing a room and both grinned with excitement. The beds were set so the head of one was at a ninety degree angle to the other with a table to fill the space between them. The sheets had tiny white dots, on a black background with pillows of black, white and mint green, one of the green pillows held an S for SeoHyun while one on the other bed had a K for Kara. Against the side of each bed was a mint green cushion that was set up like a chair so they could sit and gossip, do homework or whatever they wanted to do.

SeoHyun gasped in shock.

"Its perfect!" Kara declared.

"Trent and his mate Kira picked it out, I assume you like it SeoHyun." Tommy said.

"I love it!" SeoHyun proclaimed and hugged Tommy. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome." Tommy replied.

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He soon left the girls to unpack and settle in and went to check on Kira. He knew the miscarriage had a bad effect on her emotionally. She was hurting and there was nothing he could do to make the pain stop.

He found her in bed, curled up, crying. He hated seeing her that way, but there was nothing he could do to erase the pain.

He stepped into her room, tapping on his knuckles on her door to get her attention. He then went over and embraced her.

"Kira I am so sorry, if there is anything I can do please let me know." He whispered gently

She nodded in silent reply to his words she one he would be there for her just as he always was but really no words could make this pain better.

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It took a few days but SeoHyun began to settle in within the pack. Kara's induction into the pack went well and having her in the pack bonds seemed to anchor SeoHyun a little better within the pack and she began to slowly open up.

They had made the decision to send the girls to San Francisco two weeks early to give them time to acclimate to the new environment. He knew it would take time for SeoHyun to open up and settle in within the pack bonds so he allowed for that time.

Tommy had watched and for several days it seemed that she wasn't going to be able to make the transition into the pack. Then the full moon hunt came around almost a week after she arrived and with her first San Francisco hunt came a bit of an improvement that gave Tommy hope that everything would be okay. He had talked to Bran about that and it seemed that being able to run beside the wolves and not get hurt gave her the reassurance that she needed that she would never be hurt again by her own pack.

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Tommy looked up as he saw SeoHyun standing in the doorway to his office.

"Is everything okay?" he asked her as he could tell by her posture she was nervous.

"I wanted… wanted to ask you how I was going to get back and forth to school." She asked.

"You'll have rides from other pack members if you need them, all you have to do is ask." Tommy replied.

"I can drive, I… I just need a vehicle." She told him.

"I know that, and you will be allowed to drive as well if you want to, but for now it will probably be easier just to ride with someone else."

"Yeah, you're probably right." She admitted but it was clear she was still very insecure.

"SeoHyun, come here." Tommy instructed putting no force behind the command, he wanted her to feel comfortable with him which meant leaving her free to stay at a more comfortable distance if that was what she wanted.

She obeyed him anyway and he could tell how beaten down she had truly been. He had to shove his wolf down, the werewolves that did this to her were dead already, there was no one to kill to change what he saw. She was getting better; she wasn't having the horrendous nightmares she had when she first arrived and she was also socializing within the pack, which was another step in the right direction.

He hugged her near.

"You don't have to worry about anything, we are all one pack, we take care of our own, through thick and thin we will be here for you, I promise." He whispered to her as Kara arrived in the doorway.

To watch their behavior someone uneducated in werewolf psychology and who knew nothing of their history would assume that Kara was the elder of the two girls when in fact SeoHyun was older by a year.

"Is she okay?" Kara mouthed.

Tommy gave a subtle nod of his head to assure the younger wolf that her best friend was fine. He knew Kara worried about SeoHyun and probably took on more responsibility than she needed to for her safety and wellbeing. He was slowly working to change that and remind Kara that SeoHyun's safety and wellbeing along with her own was his responsibility.

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After dinner that evening Kira was walking through the living room when she noticed SeoHyun sitting there with a guitar, she could only assume by her behavior she was writing a song.

This was a new bit of information for Kira because she had no idea SeoHyun played music much less wrote songs. She put on her best smile and approached SeoHyun.

"Hi, what are you working on?"

"Hi, this… this is a song I started working on with my mom before I moved… I was just trying to finish it." She replied shyly.

"Can I hear what you have so far?" Kira asked taking a seat near the younger girl.

"Sure… it's kind of rough though."

"That's okay, maybe I could help." Kira offered.

"That would be great." SeoHyun gave a friendly smile.

To Be Continued…


	4. Chapter 4

Tommy walked into the room half an hour later to find Kira and SeoHyun finishing up the new song, both holding guitars. This was the first time he had seen Kira with a guitar since her miscarriage and he saw it as a very good sign that she was on the road to recovery.

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The girls started to school without incident and it seemed that being busy helped them settle in even more. SeoHyun enjoyed her school and getting to focus on her passion for baking especially the sweet things that everyone loved. He noted early on from the baking creations she brought back when she did bring her schoolwork home that she had a natural talent for baking. The pack looked forward to getting any of her baked goods, cupcakes were always a hit with them and if he were honest he was right there with them. They saw her confidence grow with the compliments she got on her baking creations even though they embarrassed her.

He had become a bit concerned when she started spending a lot of time with a guy that she had classes with. Sure he had no reason to suspect that Jacob Hendel was a risk to SeoHyun, but he was going to keep watch in case something went south.

SeoHyun had been worried when Tommy said that he wanted to meet Jacob before their first real date.

"SeoHyun, I'm not going to hurt him I just want to make sure you're going to be safe." He assured her as she made an attempt to protest this meeting. "I'm your alpha remember, that is my job."

"He doesn't know I'm a werewolf." She protested "Besides he would never hurt me."

"I'll just tell him your father is a friend of mine and I told him I'd look after you while you were here in San Francisco, sound good?" Tommy gave her a side hug in an attempt to reassure her.

She nodded "Yes, it does." but it was clear she was still nervous about the whole thing.

The day of the date came around and Jacob was confused as to why Tommy wanted to meet him but came in to meet him anyway.

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Tommy watched as Jacob entered the house and the idea that he didn't know SeoHyun was a werewolf went right down the drain when he realized Jacob was part fae. That was when things began to make sense, she had been a little to insistent that he was safe and that he didn't need to meet Jacob. Did he have her enthralled in some way, he had to push back his growl as he asked to speak with Jacob in private. He had slipped an order to SeoHyun that she wasn't to spy on them.

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They got into his office, shut the door and Tommy spun on Jacob.

"When were you planning on telling SeoHyun that you're part Fae?" he demanded.

"Eventually…" Jacob replied "So I'm right about her, she is a werewolf; I noticed the authority you slipped into the order to stay and not eavesdrop on us. Don't worry, Alpha, I'm not going to hurt your precious submissive." his tone was almost patronizing which only served to anger Tommy more.

"Funny how I find that hard to believe," Tommy replied well aware of Jacob's attempt to influence him with magic. "True full blood fae cannot lie, but some that are part fae can lie all they see fit. You forget I learned to be a werewolf just miles from the reservation in Walla Walla. I know more about fae than most werewolves do so you'll have to forgive me if I don't seem to trust your word. You should also be aware that her father is none other than Charles Cornick so I would tread lightly if I were you, if you're actions are seen as possibly inciting a war between wolves and the fae, you never know the Grey Lords might see you as expendable." He meant that to be every ounce the threat it sounded.

That seemed to hit home with Jacob for a moment "You're bluffing, the Grey Lords would never see our relationship as a risk for starting a war."

"Are you sure, you are dating the Marrok's granddaughter after all, though if you intend to treat her well and take care of her there shouldn't be any issues, otherwise… I would end this charade now before someone got hurt, namely you."

Jacob left the office in a huff and practically dragged SeoHyun out the door, which scared her. What had happened in there? What had Tommy said that had him so angry?

Jacob calmed down and admitted that he had overreacted to what Tommy had said when he grabbed her, and that he understood that Tommy was only trying to protect her. It was the truth as far as it went but something bugged SeoHyun about what he was saying. She became more concerned as they drove to the restaurant and he began to try and sneak his hand under her skirt.

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Kara ran to Tommy in fear as she saw Jacob drive off with SeoHyun. Tommy growled and took out after them.

"Jacob, stop, I told you I'm not ready for that." SeoHyun said as Jacob tried to slip his hand into her panties.

"You will do what you are told." He said.

"You aren't my father or my alpha, you can't control me!" she bellowed angrily as she began to fight him.

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Tommy gasped in horror as SeoHyun jumped from Jacob's car on the freeway at close to 80 miles per hour and slammed on his breaks along with jerking the steering wheel to one side to keep from hitting her but was unable to prevent another vehicle from striking her. It was going at just about 20 having slammed on the brakes with speed that would have done justice to a werewolf. He jumped out of his own Jeep and ran to her as Jason and several others, including the driver that hit her who was another pack member, joined them.

"Why did you do that?" he asked adrenaline still pumping through his veins, then he realized by her gasps that she was injured worse than he thought. The medic checked her and told him she needed him to calm down. He took several deep breaths to calm himself down.

"She needs you to share your power with her to heal."

Tommy knew what that meant so without a word he pulled a pocket knife and cut a small piece of flesh from his arm and fed it to her.

"Would changing help her any?" Jason asked.

"Yes, immensely" the medic replied.

"Do we know why she even did this?" The driver, Robert Park asked.

SeoHyun tried to speak but found that she could barely make a sound.

"Don't speak…You can tell us everything once you've recovered." Tommy said his tone soft as he brushed her hair away from her face.

"I need you to change, can you do that?" he asked "Don't speak, just nod."

She hesitated then nodded and they carried her inside to a vehicle where her clothes were cut off and she began her change, Tommy never leaving her side so she could benefit from his energy to speed up and ease the change. Tommy's phone rang and he saw it was Bran and he answered it as they arrived back at the house and took SeoHyun to the safe room.

"Hello?" he said.

"Thomas, is everything okay with SeoHyun?"

"It will be" Tommy signed "I don't have the whole story as to what happened, all I know right now is she jumped out of a moving car."

Tommy cringed at how bad that sounded as Jason brought a couple of pounds of raw meat cut into small chunks that Tommy could feet to SeoHyun. They knew leaving her in the safe room by herself wasn't a good idea she didn't have many good associations with the safe room and they would need to be there to help her overcome that.

"Once you know what is happening please let me know." Bran said.

"Will do," Tommy assured him.

After he got off the phone he got SeoHyun to put her head in his lap and began to give her the pieces of raw beef.

To be Continued...


	5. Chapter 5

Jason sat beside Tommy as SeoHyun ate the meat. This was not going to be a good night for them and they knew it. This was the first time in years that SeoHyun was in a safe room and the last time she had been a prisoner. In all the time she was in Aspen Creek she never got injured bad enough to lose control. Even if she had a safe room likely wouldn't have been necessary given how dominant her adoptive father was compared to how submissive she was.

She looked at Jason and he could tell she was scared. Safe rooms held nothing but bad memories for her even though the one Tommy had set up was so much more inviting and comfortable than the one Everett had her trapped in.

"Don't worry SeoHyun, Jason won't hurt you." Tommy assured her gently.

She began to calm, she trusted Tommy almost as much as she did her own da and grandda so if he said she could trust Jason she believed him. Jason rubbed her face gently and she leaned into his touch in search of reassurance.

"Her dad called, he and Anna will be here in the morning to check on her. He just finished a job close to the border, Bran must have told him what happened so he wants to check on her and they're her parents so I couldn't say no to them." Jason said.

"Okay, maybe by then we'll have answers for him, like why she jumped out of a car into oncoming traffic." Tommy sighed softly.

"How is she, Tommy?" Robert asked.

"She's healing well, Robert," Tommy replied.

Tommy knew Robert cared deeply for SeoHyun, they all did, but Robert was different and it was clear he wasn't taking the fact that he had run her over very well. It had been clear that Robert had tried to avoid striking SeoHyun but was simply not able to even with werewolf reflexes. He was fairly old and if Charles hadn't taken SeoHyun Robert would have likely taken her himself if she had wanted to go back to California.

"You don't think her father will attack me, do you?" Robert asked.

"No, he knows your part in this was an accident, he can't hold it against you any more than she will." Tommy said. He knew SeoHyun well enough to know she would forgive this accident with little need for persuasion.

Jason smirked as he realized SeoHyun had gone to sleep too exhausted for even the conversation around her to keep her awake.

Tommy passed SeoHyun over to Jason and left, locking them both in the safe room. This wasn't normal werewolf practice. Usually if someone was in the safe room it was generally alone, but SeoHyun's case was anything but normal. She had been abused severely in the San Diego 'safe room' so now she needed reassured while she was in there she wasn't going to be further harmed.

She snuggled into Jason but didn't rouse. It was a good sign that she was feeling safe enough to be the submissive they knew she was and leave protecting her in Jason's hands.

Tommy and Robert left with Jason in charge of tending to SeoHyun. One of the other wolves would bring him some dinner and more meat to feed her later that evening, plus he also had a key to get out should he need to, but neither he nor Tommy anticipated that being necessary.

It was about seven in the morning when Charles and Anna arrived at Tommy's home, he had been awake for a little while but he hadn't checked on SeoHyun that morning to see if she was ready to shift back and explain why she jumped out of the car.

They got downstairs and found that SeoHyun was back to her human form and dressed in a set of sweats that Jason had retrieved for her. She looked up at Tommy as he opened the door then threw herself into Charles' arms and began to cry.

They went to the nearby sitting area and Charles held her in his arms as they began to ask her questions as to why she did what she did.

"He wouldn't stop, he wouldn't let me out of the car… he… he kept putting his hands on me where I asked him not to, I had to get away and that's the only escape route I could find." She said shakily. "I begged him to take me home but he wouldn't listen to me..."

"It's okay, SeoHyun, you're safe now, you won't have to deal with him ever again." Tommy assured her. He had communicated with Jacob's father during the night and found that he would be dealt with.

SeoHyun's injuries had healed almost completely during the night but despite eating several times during the night, she had still lost weight. Neither Charles nor Anna seemed worried about her weight loss, it was expected when a wolf was as injured as SeoHyun had been that they would lose weight and they figured she could gain it back in due time.

"So… wait… he was holding you prisoner in his car?" Anna inferred.

SeoHyun nodded then hid her face in Charles' chest.

Tommy seemed very angered by this as did Charles, they had a bad feeling they knew what Jacob had planned for SeoHyun and none of them wanted to even try to imagine how badly she would have reacted to that. The fear was they would have had to send her back to Aspen Creek or risk her walking into the bay, but she had always proven to be stronger than they gave her credit for, maybe she would have handled it better than they feared, maybe she would have been able to remain in San Francisco but they were glad they didn't have to roll the dice on that issue.

Charles watched as SeoHyun fidgeted with the hem of her sweatshirt. He stopped her by gently grasping her both of her hands in one of his own.

"Calm down, it's over now." He assured her softly.

"I know, Da, I just can't believe I fell for him like I did." She protested not trying to pull her hands from his gentle grasp.

"You haven't had much experience dating, everyone makes mistakes, one day you will find a mate that will take good care of you." Anna assured her.

"Like Da does you, mom…?"

"Yes," Anna smiled.

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Later that day Kara came downstairs and began to growl when she saw Jacob standing there with an unfamiliar man.

"Relax wolf, Jacob won't be allowed to touch your submissive again!" He snapped his voice thick with Ireland.

"Hi, excuse her, she and SeoHyun are very close friends." Tommy said calmly to the stranger "she is highly protective of SeoHyun, as we all are, I am sure you are familiar with pack mentality, especially where submissives are concerned.'

"She's okay." He said "Jacob told me we might run into wolves that resent him for what happened with her. I understand you treasure your submissives and protect them, I take no offense to her actions."

Kara watched as Tommy escorted them to his office.

"Kara go stay with SeoHyun, this man is one of the Grey Lords; he came to help us deal with this." Tommy ordered firmly.

"Yes, Tommy," Kara said and headed upstairs to be with SeoHyun she knew it was hard on the other girl to deal with the heartbreak, they hadn't dated much in Aspen Creek so this was a new experience for them. She was shocked to see Robert sitting there with her. He had apologized profusely for striking SeoHyun with his car and in the end she forgave him as everyone expected she would. There was also someone else in the room that she didn't recognize. She pushed down her growl as she noticed that the female sitting by SeoHyun smelled similar to Tommy, she knew Tommy had a teenage sister named Charlotte and she assumed this was her.

They excused themselves and left the room and Kara sat beside SeoHyun who leaned on her. Kara hugged her near.

"I know that hurt but… it'll get better, you'll find the right guy for you out there somewhere." Kara told her.

"I know." SeoHyun replied leaning into Kara's embrace.

To Be Continued…


	6. Chapter 6

Tommy watched as Jacob fidgeted in his chair and his wolf enjoyed it, much to Tommy's displeasure, or was it that Tommy was enjoying this just as much as his wolf and he hated that fact. What Jacob did to SeoHyun, and what they suspected that he would have done to her, was unforgivable. She was an innocent, submissive werewolf and anyone who knew werewolf psychology would know how stupid what Jacob had done was, he should have known the pack would seek revenge for his wrongs against their submissive.

He looked over at the grey lord that had escorted Jacob to his house. He would have to contact Zee later to see exactly what this particular Grey Lord could do and why they had any interest in this situation.

"Dr. Oliver, I deeply regret what happened to your young submissive." He said "There is no excuse for what happened."

"I bet Jacob could come up with an excuse or two if he tried… you were going to force yourself on her, weren't you…" Tommy said still quite angry and no one could blame him.

Jacob opened his mouth to protest but shut it; he repeated this action several times, looking much like a fish out of water. This also served to confirm that Tommy was right. If SeoHyun hadn't jumped from the vehicle when she did she would have likely been raped.

"I'm right, aren't I…" Tommy inferred "… if it weren't for your grey lord escort I would have left you to her adoptive father's to deal with… but I want to maintain peaceful relations with the Fae, and I have no doubt Charles would have maimed or killed you." Tommy said.

"I would not blame you had you done just that; he put his hands on your submissive and Charles Cornick's child, adopted or otherwise. I would have expected his vengeance and yours to be swift and ruthless she is his no matter how she became that way. She is also submissive in your pack making it your duty to keep her safe from harm, it must just infuriate you that you couldn't prevent her being injured."

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SeoHyun hugged a pillow and cried, she was withdrawing into herself and Jason knew it, he would have to intervene as soon as possible or risk this setback forcing her back to Aspen Creek and causing her to lose her hard earned scholarship. He had heard that she had competed in a bake-off for teenagers to earn the scholarship and the competition was stiff but she still came out on top.

He knocked on the open door to get the younger werewolf's attention; though he was pretty sure she heard his footsteps as he entered the doorway.

"Hi Jason," She said not looking up at him. The young wolves weren't intimidated by him or Tommy as they were rather young themselves. They were respected, but not feared.

Charles had been concerned about Tommy becoming an alpha so soon after being turned but Adam vouched for his trustworthiness and Bran had seen that Tommy was a leader born and was the best candidate to take the alpha position from the werewolf that had been the alpha when he arrived. They had kept an eye on the two of them and with the pack healthy and flourishing they knew the young alpha was doing good as an alpha and they trusted his judgment when he allowed Jason to challenge for second. If Jason was anything like Tommy, and he was, he would make an excellent second for the young alpha.

Jason sat with SeoHyun.

"I can't believe I fell for that!" she said clearly angry with herself.

Jason didn't know exactly what to tell her so instead he encouraged her to sit up and embraced her.

"I don't understand, I thought he loved me." She said clearly frustrated with herself.

"Don't worry; it isn't your fault this happened." Jason said to her gently, he wasn't the word wizard Tommy was but he understood why SeoHyun was so angry with herself. "You'll find someone that loves you out there."

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure… just don't let him mar your opinion of guys, not all of them out there are like him. Just look at us for example."

"Yeah, Tommy has been really great and so have you." She admitted with a watery smile.

"See… you'll find someone… just don't let Jacob tear you down." He encouraged her gently.

"I won't let that happen." She promised

She settled into silence for several minutes "Jason… do you think Tommy would mind if I went to the Korean market and made some of my favorite stew."

"I don't see any reason why he'd get upset about that." Jason said "If that's what makes you feel better."

"It does… mine is nowhere near as good as my mothers, I don't have her recipe but it helps."

"What is that stew you like?" a woman asked, her Korean accent thick.

"Sundubu-Jjigae…" SeoHyun replied she wasn't familiar with this woman but she could tell she was from South Korea due to her accent.

"I can make that…" she said stepping into the room "Why didn't you say something sooner; I would have made you some by now. I would have made you a lot of Korean food if I knew you missed it."

"Thank you." SeoHyun said.

Jason looked at Gwon Boram, her husband was a member of the pack as was her oldest son but she was human and now a grandmother with three grandchildren and one on the way. He figured that she would take SeoHyun under her wing like another grandchild and care for her as best she could. This was good for SeoHyun in this time as they knew her parents couldn't remain in California for too long.

Kira watched as Jason and Boram left the room.

"Jason, how is she doing?" Kira asked in concern.

"She'll be okay… but she could definitely use some friends." He commented. He had seen her slipping into a bad case of homesickness, as she pined for the wide open space and freedom of her Montana home. She and her friends Kara and Bronwyn had spent hours exploring the woods close to Aspen Creek that it seemed she missed not to be allowed the freedom to explore outside.

Kira looked in on SeoHyun and sighed softly, she knew what happened to SeoHyun and she was learning more and more about the young werewolf's history that just broke her heart and the fact that she could trust after all she went through amazed Kira.

"Hey…" she smiled brightly.

"Hi…" SeoHyun said dejectedly.

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Tommy watched as his guests left then turned to Jason to ask about SeoHyun.

"She's really frustrated with herself for falling for him." Jason sighed "She shouldn't be but she is."

"I figured she would feel that way, after all she's been through she needs a lot of reassurance; she needs us to take care of her right now."

"And we will; we aren't going to let her down the way the San Diego pack did." Jason vowed.

"They did more than that, Jason; they convinced her she was ugly, worthless and unworthy of love." Tommy sighed.

"How could an alpha let that happen to a pup that young?" Jason asked clearly getting angry about the situation

"He was the leader of it." Tommy admitted clearly frustrated by the whole thing. "He was the one planting those ideas in her mind and given his rank she believed him even though she wasn't part of his pack. He never incorporated her into his pack for reasons I still don't understand."

"That doesn't make any sense at all, why would he do that to a submissive."

"Because Everett was insane," A voice said.

"I'm sorry, Tommy, Jason… but I couldn't help overhear… I used to live in San Diego and I can tell you right now that Everett got drunk with power and a lot of things went bad in that pack thanks to him."

"Derrick you were there when SeoHyun arrived, weren't you?" Tommy asked as Derrick Martin walked joined them in Tommy's office.

"Yes, and I hated what happened to her… hated Everett for what he allowed to happen to her, he abused, neglected and allowed for her molestation." Derrick sighed it was clear he was angry with Everett.

"I hated myself for not being able to do anything to protect her, to care for her. Every instinct I had screamed that she deserved better, demanded that I pulled her away and held her in my arms and protect her from the hell she was living in."

"He's telling the truth." SeoHyun said looking at the floor, her shoulders arched in classic submissive position.

"SeoHyun, Everett was wrong… what happened to you… that should have never happened and I want you to know if you ever need to talk I'm right here." Tommy said putting his hands on her shoulders gently.

"I know, and I thank you, Tommy." She said looking up at his face but not meeting his eyes.

"Don't mention it, you don't have to thank me," He told her as he hugged her gently.

Derrick couldn't help smile at what he saw. SeoHyun had been through so much, to see her well cared for did him good even though some part of him wished it was him caring for her instead of Tommy.

To Be Continued…


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Don't own the lyrics in this chapter they are from the song "Fly" by Maddie and Tae

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Derrick sighed as SeoHyun went to work on homework, there was something about SeoHyun that drew him, had since he first met her, but she was so young when he first saw her that he didn't want to do anything until she got older. He knew what she had experienced at the hands of an older man, but he wasn't a pedophile, he just loved her dearly and would wait until she was grown to even attempt to show romantic interest in her. That said he also wouldn't neglect her either, wouldn't let her go hungry as his alpha would have done, wouldn't let her hear all the psychological torture without at least trying to contradict it with messages that she should believe in herself, that despite what Everett and others said to her she was beautiful and would one day find a mate that would love her unconditionally. That there were people out there and in the pack that already did love her and want to protect her even though Everett made that impossible.

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Tommy had seen the way Derrick looked at SeoHyun.

"Derrick, can I speak with you in private?"

"Yes, Alpha," Derrick replied following Tommy to his office.

"You can call me Tommy, Derrick."

"Tommy… sorry,"

"It's okay… I'm just worried about SeoHyun and more importantly what your intentions are for her." Tommy said as he took a seat on the edge of his desk.

"I… I… I love her… she's beautiful and… and I'm drawn to her the way I haven't been anybody in decades, but… but she's so young, she hasn't even seen a quarter century yet." Derrick said.

"Derrick, if I may ask… how old are you?" Tommy asked.

"I served in World War Two, I... I'll be 91 in September." Derrick replied. "She's what nineteen?"

Derek was old but often it was hard to tell exactly how old, he had adapted well with the times with just few concessions to his era showing through in the way he treated the women in his life.

"Derrick… with werewolves age really doesn't matter… you know this better than anybody." Tommy pointed out.

"True… but she doesn't even know herself that well. How can I expect her to understand the way I feel if she is still learning what it means to be a submissive werewolf?"

"Derrick she needs someone to make her feel beautiful, she let Everett convince her she was the ugliest thing God let walk and as I'm sure you see better than anyone, that is wrong she's an adorable girl and so full of life and hope. She needs someone like you to uplift her, you're very dominant Derrick, and you have to be careful pursuing a relationship with someone as submissive as her. If you tried you could be third in this pack easily and we both know this, so you need to be extremely careful when pursuing a submissive mate."

"What makes you think I'm going to…" Derrick trailed off in shock, sure he was considering this but how did Tommy know? The last time he felt the way he did about SeoHyun was about his late mate, Carl, so he wondered, could he have found another mate?

"Derrick, yes I'm young but… I know what it looks like when a man is in love." Tommy replied "Just remember what I told you about her, she's very submissive so you have to make sure this is really what she wants."

"I know… I wouldn't do anything to her unless I knew it was what she wanted from me… I'd never do what Everett and his goonies did to her. She deserves better than that." Derrick vowed "If Charles hadn't shown up when he did I don't think she would have survived much longer, I know for a fact if Mitchell had been allowed to hold onto her any longer than he did he would have raped her, he had done it before with other teenage girls, though she was the first werewolf that I'm aware of."

Tommy clinched his teeth to keep the growl at bay, he couldn't imagine how bad SeoHyun would have been had she been raped, would she have been able to handle the emotional trauma? Or would she have attempted to take her own life? He didn't know and was extremely glad they would never find out. He wouldn't allow her to be hurt like that again and he knew Charles wouldn't allow it either.

Derrick left Tommy's office and caught the sound of two guitars and he figured it was SeoHyun and Kira. As far as he knew they were the only guitarists in the pack. They were also singing a song he had never heard before

 _So keep on climbing, though the ground might shake  
Just keep on reaching though the limb might break  
We've come this far, don't you be scared now  
Cause you can learn to fly on the way down_

The song was beautiful and he couldn't help think that both girls had lovely singing voices but for some reason he found himself drawn to SeoHyun. He had hated himself when he first realized how drawn to her he really was and letting her go to Aspen Creek had been the hardest thing he had ever done even though he knew it was what was best for her. She needed a sanctuary where she could decompress and recover from the horrific two months she had gone through thanks to Everett, Mitchell and Sebastian. He wanted her then and he only wanted her more now, but he was afraid she wouldn't want him back.

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SeoHyun looked up as she realized she was being watched. There was something strangely familiar about him. She could have sworn she had seen him before but couldn't place where and if she were honest with herself it was driving her a little bit crazy.

"Are you okay?" Kira asked.

"Yeah… yeah I'm fine." She replied it was a lie but Kira wouldn't be able to immediately tell the way a werewolf would. SeoHyun usually tried not to lie to people as she knew that lying to werewolves wasn't a good idea as they could normally tell when one was lying to them.

She quietly left unaware that Derrick was following her, he was worried about her after what Jacob did. When he caught Charles' scent in the direction she was headed he figured it was best to leave her be for the time being. She was safe with her adoptive father and she needed the time with him as she didn't see him often since moving from Montana to California.

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Anna and Charles noticed that one of the pack members was following SeoHyun and began to get slightly concerned as they realized they had caught his scent in the San Diego pack house when they got her. He broke off and they could only assume that he noticed their scents and decided to leave things be, but they were still worried about the situation.

Charles hugged SeoHyun then went to pursue the werewolf that had been following his daughter.

Derrick was shocked when Charles confronted him about following SeoHyun.

"I just wanted to check on her, she seemed a bit upset earlier and… after Jacob, I don't want to risk anything." Derrick replied and it was the truth as far as it went, but Charles had a bad feeling there was more to Derrick's reasons for following SeoHyun.

"That isn't everything… is it?" Charles asked, still stone faced, his emotionless mask often got him plenty of answers from those around him.

"Look I have known your daughter since she was changed and… and I've felt drawn to her ever since I first caught her scent… but I couldn't do anything because of Everett and his order that she was off limits… that we couldn't help her. It was hard; I struggled against that order with every fiber of my being because I cared about her so much and still do." Derrick said.

It was working; Derrick was telling him things that he needed to know.

"You came from San Diego so you know what she went through there, the two months of absolute hell Everett put her through."

"Yes and I wanted to kill him for it. She never did a thing to deserve that kind of treatment, she was a child that just watched her mom and pop die she needed coddled and loved. She needed an environment where she could mourn them, what she got was hostility and abuse. To this day I wonder why Everett even took her in if all he was going to do was hurt her." Derrick sighed "We all failed her then and most of us still consider what happened to her to be the pack's greatest failure to a young werewolf because we all failed her."

Charles could hear the emotion welling in Derrick's tone, he hated himself as much or more than any Charles had met from the San Diego pack because deep inside they had wanted to love on SeoHyun, wanted to care for her the way she deserved but Everett was a tyrant and wouldn't allow them to stand in the way of his abusive tirade. Charles had a bad feeling had he not shown up when he did the San Diego pack would have dissolved into disorder and fighting due to his actions concerning SeoHyun. He also wondered if the level of hatred Derrick felt for himself was because his wolf chose SeoHyun as his mate, Charles figured he would have to wait and see if Derrick and SeoHyun were destined to be mated.

To Be Continued…


	8. Chapter 8

SeoHyun followed Charles as he went to see who it was that had been following her and she couldn't hide her shock at the other werewolf's words. She listened to him for several minutes then it suddenly dawned on her who he was, Derrick Martin, one of the few werewolves in San Diego that was close enough to Everett in dominance to have been able to do anything for her. She heard him as he told Charles that his job was the reason he moved from San Diego to San Francisco as it transferred him mere months after SeoHyun moved to Aspen Creek.

Tears welled in her eyes as she remembered the strange feelings she had for him as he fed and tended to her wounds with tender hands and such a soft voice. She knew now that was how she was supposed to be treated but there was more about how he acted compared to those in Aspen Creek that brought up questions in her mind. Was he destined to be her mate? Was that why he risked defying his alpha to try to care for her even though even he couldn't call the Marrok to end it? The questions swam in her mind and she needed answers, answers she could only get by talking to Derrick himself.

She stepped out of her hiding place.

"Da… it took me a while but I recognize him… he was one of the few in the San Diego ack that could defy Everett enough to try to take care of me, try to contradict what Everett was telling me. There are days I wouldn't have eaten at all if it weren't for him." She said and turned to Derrick.

"I don't understand why though, why you risked your life to help me." She said to Derrick. "What drove you, Everett could have easily killed you for that and not thought twice about it."

"Because I felt something for you, something I hadn't felt in a decade or longer, but you were just a girl and I wasn't going to try to burden you with that when you were going through so much already but I… I would have fought Everett for you." Derrick confessed.

"I don't understand, he would have killed you if you had done that." SeoHyun said.

"Maybe so, but I would have done everything in my power to take him down with me… the rest of the pack would have dealt with Sebastian and Mitchell pretty quickly without him to protect them… moral mutants like them don't tend to last long as werewolves, sex offences against children aren't usually looked at with much favor… their deaths would have been brutal if it had been the pack that took them out instead of your Da." Derrick explained. "They got off easy with quick neck breaks; the pack would have ripped them to shreds."

"I'm still… I'm still not sure what would have motivated you to do that for me?"

"A werewolf will do some crazy things when he thinks he's found his mate." Derrick said honestly. To be truthful he was scared to death what Charles would do at that confession but SeoHyun needed to hear that.

SeoHyun gasped and put her hand over her mouth in shock. Charles stood stoically having suspected this was coming for the past few minutes but still rather shocked that Derrick would confess what he felt in front of him.

SeoHyun turned and ran to her mom; she needed to talk to a woman about the storm of emotions that was brewing in her heart. She had felt so much for him that even in that moment she felt as if she could wrap his scent around her like a blanket she could feel comfortable and safe in ways not even Charles made her feel, and if she were honest with her it terrified her.

Derrick felt his wolf howl in grief as she ran, he knew something had her terrified and that was the last thing he had ever wanted for her. He started to go after her but stopped, she needed to deal with the turmoil his confession created before he could do anything else for her and he hated that there was nothing he could do for her.

"I know I came on strong, but she needed to understand why I did what I did… why I would risk everything for her. When I said I cared for her it was an understatement, even back then I loved her but… with her being just fourteen she was too young even now she's really young but…"

"I know, just realize if you chose to pursue her and hurt her I won't be the only one you have to worry about pursuing you."

"That is one thing you don't have to worry about, sir, I'd rather cut my arm off with a silver blade than hurt her." Derrick said and Charles could tell that was the truth.

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Anna was shocked when SeoHyun returned to her looking very confused and upset. It didn't take much for everything to come bubbling to the surface and Anna understood where SeoHyun was coming from. It was a lot like what she had felt when Charles arrived in her life, like something deep inside of her was telling her not to be afraid of Charles even though she had been hard wired to fear werewolves like him.

"I know it's overwhelming to find him, but SeoHyun you know that he would never harm you if you are truly his mate." Anna said gently.

"I know, mom, but… it's so strange, after the crap Jacob put me through I suddenly find my mate. It doesn't make any sense."

"Fate is strange that way." Anna smiled "Don't be afraid of what you feel, embrace it, trust me your wolf won't ever steer you wrong."

"I know mom, it's just… it's so overwhelming what I feel when I see him, when I smell him."

"Like if you could be with him forever you would be the happiest woman on the planet?" Anna supplied "I know that feeling; I feel it every time I see and smell your da."

"Really, mom…?" SeoHyun asked

"Really sweetheart" Anna hugged SeoHyun with a smile. "Just remember we're here no matter what happens."

"I know, mom and I can't thank you both enough for everything you've done for me." SeoHyun smiled hugging Anna.

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Days passed and soon Charles and Anna had to return to Aspen Creek but they were confident that SeoHyun was in good hands between Tommy, Jason and Derrick. SeoHyun was starting to get to know Derrick very well and found herself drawn to him more and more every day. Robert had become a very good friend but she had a feeling that perhaps he was interested in Kara.

"Derrick, I'm nervous."

"Why…?" he asked as they sat under a shade tree together.

"My midterms start tomorrow." She sighed

"You'll do great." Derrick assured her.

"You really think so?" she asked.

"I know so." Derrick replied and gave her a soft peck on the lips. They had only recently started with any displays of affection between them, Derrick knew he needed to take his time with SeoHyun and had no plans that they would mate any time soon. After she was molested he figured it would take a lot of time for her to trust him enough to touch the most intimate parts of her form and he understood that, sex would take a lot more trust than any of the other things he could ask of her.

"I was going through your luggage and I found a hidden compartment." He said as she leaned her forehead against the side of his neck.

"What… what was in it?" she asked.

"A CD… homemade by the looks of it," He replied holding the jewel case where she could see it.

"That's my mom's handwriting… I don't understand." She said.

"Let's go inside and listen to it, see what's on it."

They went to the room he was staying in and he put it in his CD player but stopped short of actually playing it.

"Derrick, baby… why did you stop…?"

"This was clearly meant for you alone… perhaps you should listen to it by yourself."

"Derrick…"

"SeoHyun, this has to be extremely personal between you and your family. You can tell me about it later but right now you should listen to it on your own."

"Okay…" she hesitated as he handed her the case which contained a note written by her mom explaining that this had some things they wanted her to hear on it. He kissed her and left the room.

She pressed the play button and gasped in shock as she heard the music begin to play.

To Be Continued…


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own the songs listed in this chapter which are "I Hope You Dance" by Leann Womack, "My Wish" and "I Won't Let Go" by Rascal Flatts and "Ready, Set, Don't Go" by Billy Ray Cyrus.

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SeoHyun gasped as she heard her mother singing a song about her hopes for her and her future. She looked at the letter and found the title was "I Hope you Dance", the song ended and it went to her Uncle singing a song he titled "My Wish" talking about how he wished for good things for her that everything went the best for her, then her grandda's song how he would always be there for her through the hard times and won't let her go when she needs him, the title on the track list was "I Won't Let Go" she was stunned by her Grandda's words but then the last song began to play and when her father's voice started accompanied only by his guitar where the rest had full musical accompaniment and she almost started crying.

 _She's gotta do what she's gotta do  
And I've gotta like it or not.  
She's got dreams too big for this town  
and she needs to give 'em a shot  
where ever they are._

She was stunned at how much emotion was poured out in this first verse and she had a feeling that there was more to this song. More emotion about to come out that her da usually never really expressed where others could hear.

 _Looks like she's all ready to leave  
nothing left to pack,  
there ain't no room for me in that car  
even if she asked me to tag along.  
God I've gotta be strong!_

SeoHyun had no idea how hard it had been for her da to let her go off to school. She had known he was highly protective of her and loved her but this song was saying so much that she was sure he would have never been able to tell her face to face. She knew he wasn't good with words but his actions towards her and her mother made them unnecessary, his actions spoke louder than any words anyone could ever say.

 _She's at the startin' line of the rest of her life  
as ready as she's ever been.  
Got the hunger and the stars in her eyes  
the prize is hers to win  
she's waitin on my blessings before she hit that open road  
baby get read  
get set  
don't go_

She wiped tears from her cheeks but let the song keep playing, she wanted to hear it all, these were her father's words and she wanted to hear everything he had to say to her.

 _She says things are falling in place  
feels like they're falling apart  
I've painted this big ol' smile on my face to hide my broken heart  
if only she knew!  
This is where I don't say what I want so bad to say.  
This is where I want to but I won't get in the way  
of her and her dreams,  
and spreadin' her wings._

 _She's at the startin' line of the rest of her life  
as ready as she's ever been  
Got the hunger and the stars in her eyes  
the prize is hers to win  
she's waitin on my blessings before she hit that open road  
baby get read  
get set  
don't go_

 _She's at the startin' line of the rest of her life  
as ready as she's ever been  
Got the hunger and the stars in her eyes  
the prize is hers to win  
she's waitin on my blessings before she hit that open road  
baby get read  
get set  
please don't go_

 _Don't go  
don't go  
she's gotta do what she's gotta do  
She's gotta do what she's gotta do_

By the end she was practically sobbing. She had no idea what her father really felt for her and this was overwhelming. She figured once she calmed down she should call him and let him know she found the album and appreciated every word and everything they ever did for her. She knew that they would tell her that she didn't need to say those things to them, that they knew all of that already but she felt they needed to be said anyway.

After several minutes Derrick entered the room with her.

"What was it?" he asked

"Songs, well wishes from my mom, grandda, uncle and da," She said wiping her eyes. "I want to call my da."

"Then call him, I'm sure he'd really love to hear from you."

SeoHyun grabbed her cell phone and dialed her father's number.

"Hi, Da"

"SeoHyun… is everything okay?"

"Everything is fine, da… or it will be… I just wanted to talk to you." She tagged on the 'it will be' to make the sentence not a lie, she knew it was harder for him to pick up lies over the phone but usually by the second or third word he knew if she was telling the truth or not even over the phone. In person he would know before she finished her first word.

"You know you can always talk to me." He said

"I know; da… I love you." She smiled leaning against the wall and began to tell him about how she was nervous about midterms and she would be ready to come home for Christmas as soon as they were finished. To which he replied to not worry about buying any plane tickets for either herself or Kara he would fly them home personally. This was a relief to her, it wasn't that she didn't think commercial pilots were competent she knew they were but she always felt safe with her da in control of whatever vehicle they were in.

"I'll see you soon, da… I love you" she said as the conversation came to a close.

"I know you'll do well on your exams, I'll see you soon, I love you too." He told her.

"Bye, da."

"Bye, SeoHyun."

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Midterms weren't nearly as scary as SeoHyun thought they would be and before she knew it she and Kara were getting ready to fly home for their first vacation back in Montana.

"You girls be safe." Tommy said.

"We will… da is flying us."

They arrived at the airstrip as Charles and Anna landed and Charles hugged SeoHyun in his arms. This was really home for her and she would never forget that.

 _The End…_


End file.
